Never Let Me Go
by hse07
Summary: One of the team members loses someone dear to them, while another is set up for a crime they didn't commit. How does the team deal when they're thrown into a shitstorm?


Steve McGarrett woke up with a start. Something wasn't right. He looked around quickly, and then he smelled it. Something was burning. He sat up and began putting on his clothes.

"Steve? What is it?", Catherine asked. She sat up too.

"Something's burning.", he said. He got up and ran down the stairs to see Danny Williams in his kitchen, attempting to make breakfast.

"Danny?", he yelled. Grabbing the fire extinguisher off the wall, he quickly put out the flames.

"Hey, hey, I had it!", Danny said. He smiled and held up his hands in apology.

"What...what is this?", Steve asked.

"Wanted to make you breakfast.", Danny said.

"I see...that. But _why_?", Steve asked.

"Well, you saved Grace's friend when we went camping last week, and also because I remembered what day it was."

"What do you mean?", Steve asked.

"Really?", Danny asked, skeptical.

"Oh, because it's my birthday? Danny, you should know by now that cooking...not the gift of choice. I've seen you cook, Danno."

Behind them, Catherine laughed.

"Uh huh. Laugh it up, laugh it up.", Danny said.

Suddenly Steve's cell went off, and Danny waited for the report.

"Okay. Okay. Wait...are you sure?", Steve was saying into the phone.

Danny raised an eyebrow, and he shot Catherine a questioning look. She shrugged.

"Okay, yeah. I'll be right there.", Steve said. He hung up, and Danny looked at him.

"Well?", he asked.

"Well, what?"

"We just got a call!", Danny said.

"No, that wasn't a call. It was...my mom. I gotta go." Danny raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, taking the offering of coffee from Catherine and walking into the living room.

"What did Doris want so early this morning?", Catherine asked, snaking her hands around Steve's waist. He looked to see that Danny wasn't listening, and then looked at her.

"It wasn't Doris. It was Chin."

"So you _did_ get a call.", she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you want Danny to know about it?", she asked. Steve sighed and looked down at her.

"Because...the vic is Gabby." Catherine put a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, my God.", she said.

"Cath, please, you can't say anything to him. I'm going to go down there and see what happened."

"Okay, but what if he calls her or has plans with her or something?", she said.

"Stall him. Please. Catherine, I don't want him to find out like this. Okay? I gotta go.", Steve said. Then he was gone. Catherine looked into the living room, where Danny was watching a football game. Faking a smile, she walked in to join him.

* * *

Walking into the Hawaii Museum, Steve was faced with a grisly sight. Broken glass lay everywhere.

"Chin.", Steve called out, and Chin looked up.

"Hey, Steve. No Danny?", he asked.

"No. I didn't want him to see this.", Steve said. He looked down to see Gabby laying face-up on the ground.

"Looks like she walked in on a robbery. Single gunshot wound to the chest, and with all the broken glass it makes sense.", Kono said.

"Okay, but maybe it was supposed to look that way.", Steve said.

"What, you think this was staged?", Chin asked.

"No. I don't know. I mean, who would want to hurt Gabby? She was the sweetest woman in the world!"

"Yeah, she was.", Kono said. She bent down and examined the body, and then watched as Max zipped it up into a bag.

"Alright, we need to find out who did this. And for Danny's sake, we need to do it fast.", Steve said. The rest of the ream nodded and got to work.

* * *

The tear-streaked face of Catherine Rollins looked over to see an equally tear-stained face looking up at hers.

"Aww, are you crying?", she asked, smiling.

"No. Maybe. I'm just saying, they got to die together. It's the ultimate happy ending."

"Wow."

"What, wow.", Danny griped, stretching.

"You lied to Steve. You actually _like_ The Notebook.", she said, beaming.

"What? It's a great movie!"

"Aww, come here!", she said, smiling. Danny smiled as well. He really liked Catherine. Now if only Steve could decide what she was to him, everything would be great.

Just then the door opened, and Steve walked in. Kono and Chin trailed behind him. Steve shared a look with Catherine.

"How was Mom?", Danny asked, and Steve looked at Danny then.

"She's great. Listen, Danno...we need to talk."

"Okay, well...make it snappy. I have to go pick up Grace.", Danny said.

"Oh, well...I could do that. If you want.", Catherine volunteered.

"Could you? That would be excellent, because Steve has his serious face on. And usually that means he has a lot to say." Catherine attempted a smile, and then left. Danny, being ever perceptive, noticed the hand of support she placed on Steve's arm before she went, though.

"Okay...I'll bite. What happened?", he asked.

"Can you sit?", Steve asked. Danny sat down, and Chin and Kono joined him.

"Okay, what is this?", Danny asked. They all shared a look, and Steve sighed.

"Okay...this morning, I lied to you. My mom didn't call." He sighed and sat in the chair. Folding his hands, he looked down at the floor and then back up at Danny.

"Okay, is someone going to tell me what the hell's going on?", Danny asked. His guard was up now, because whatever it was was serious. Which meant something had happened to someone he cared about.

"Uh, we got a call this morning to the Hawaii Museum. It was hit last night.", Kono said.

"Hit? What do you mean, _hit_?", Danny snapped.

"When we got there, the place was a mess. Broken glass, things taken.", Chin said.

"Okay, wait wait wait. Gabby was at the museum last night. She..." Danny sat back against the back of the couch. Steve could see him processing the information.

"Well, is she okay?", Danny then asked.

Steve, Kono, and Chin all shared a look. Then, Steve sighed.

"I'm so sorry, man.", was all he said.

"No. No. No!", Danny said, and he put his hands over his face in disbelief. Kono grabbed him into a hug, rubbing his back. His sobs racked his entire body. Steve hated that he had to do this to him, but even worse, he hated that this was now the second time that he'd lost a woman he loved.

Chin and Steve stood, but Kono didn't move. She shared a look with Chin, and then shook her head.

"When you're ready, cuz.", Chin said. She nodded and sat back, stroking Danny's hair gently. He was still crying, clutching onto her like she was going to fly away. The door closed softly, and Kono was left alone with a very distraught Danny.


End file.
